If you love the cozy warmth of pumpkin and the deep richness of chocolate, this Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Cake is the perfect treat. It combines a tender pumpkin cake with a chocolate swirl, finished with striped chocolate and pumpkin-spice buttercream for a show-stopping fall or winter dessert.
TWO CAKES IN ONE
This recipe merges two classic cakes into one: a spiced pumpkin cake and a cocoa-swirled chocolate cake. The marble effect lets both flavors shine in every bite—moist pumpkin, warm spices, and a rich chocolate counterpoint.
If you enjoy this combination, try other pumpkin-and-chocolate bakes such as pumpkin chocolate chip cake or pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for more seasonal inspiration.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Cake
Most ingredients are pantry staples. The few specialty items you may need are canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), pumpkin pie spice, and a box of yellow cake mix.
You will need:
- 15 oz can canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or a homemade mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream, full-fat and room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (or make your own with milk and vinegar/lemon juice)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (melted butter can be used, but oil yields a lighter crumb)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 15.25 oz box yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder for the chocolate portion
How to Make the Marbled Cake
Make the batter following a standard pumpkin cake approach. Once your batter is combined, split it in half. Stir the cocoa into one half to create the chocolate component. Alternate spoonfuls of pumpkin and chocolate batter into prepared pans, then swirl gently with a knife or toothpick in a loose figure-eight pattern. Take care not to over-swirl so the contrasting colors remain distinct.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, then cool completely on a wire rack. For easier assembly and cleaner slicing, wrap the layers and chill or freeze until firm before frosting.
How to Get Clean Buttercream Stripes
Striped buttercream looks professional but requires a few specific steps for the cleanest result. These tips will help you get crisp, even stripes every time.
STEP 1: Crumb coat the cake and chill it until the crumb coat is firm. Freezing for a short time helps the cake stay stable during the next steps.
STEP 2: Make smooth buttercream. Whip well and use a spoon or spatula to gently press out any excess air bubbles so the final finish is smooth.
STEP 3: Apply a thin outer layer of buttercream and use a straight cake scraper to press shallow, even indents around the sides. Take time to fill any gaps until the lines are crisp. Chill or freeze the cake for at least 10 minutes so the buttercream firms.
STEP 4: Pipe the contrasting color into the indents (for example, pumpkin spice buttercream). Use the scraper, pressing firmly, to smooth the surface and reveal clean stripes. It may look rough at first—keep scraping and adding small amounts of buttercream where needed until the stripes are neat.
Patience is key: the cleaner your initial indents and the firmer the crumb coat, the better the striped effect.
Two Buttercreams in One
This cake features both a pumpkin-spice buttercream and a chocolate buttercream. Make a full batch of pumpkin-spice buttercream, reserve a portion to tint orange for the pumpkin stripes, then add cocoa to the remaining buttercream to create a rich chocolate version. You’ll typically need more chocolate buttercream for stacking and crumb coating, so plan quantities accordingly.
Color the reserved pumpkin-spice buttercream with a small amount of gel coloring for a soft orange hue. Use the chocolate buttercream to crumb coat and form the initial indents before piping the orange stripes into place.
This combination gives you both the warm, spiced pumpkin flavor and the deep chocolate contrast—perfect for fall celebrations or anytime you want a festive, flavorful cake.
If you make this cake, I’d love to see it—tag @bakingwithblondie or use #bakingwithblondie on social media. Happy baking! — Mandy
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Cake with Chocolate & Pumpkin Spice Buttercream Stripes
Ingredients
Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Cake
- 15 oz can canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 1 15.25 oz box yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
Chocolate + Pumpkin Spice Buttercream
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (more as needed)
- 7–8 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (for chocolate buttercream)
- 1–2 drops orange gel coloring (optional)
Instructions
For the Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Cake
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare three 6″ cake pans with shortening and flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
- Sift in the yellow cake mix and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Split the batter in half. Stir the cocoa into one half to make the chocolate batter.
- Alternate spoonfuls of pumpkin and chocolate batter into the prepared pans, then swirl gently with a knife to create the marble pattern.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, then wrap and chill or freeze until firm for easier assembly.
Chocolate & Pumpkin Spice Striped Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
- Add salt, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and heavy cream. Mix until combined.
- With the mixer on low, add powdered sugar gradually, about 1/2 cup at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Add more cream if needed.
- Reserve about 2 cups of the pumpkin-spice buttercream and tint it orange if desired. Place in a piping bag.
- Mix cocoa into the remaining buttercream to create the chocolate buttercream.
- Stack the chilled cake layers and apply a crumb coat with the chocolate buttercream. Chill until set.
- Apply a thin outer layer of chocolate buttercream, use a stripe scraper to create clean indents, chill briefly, then pipe the orange buttercream into the indents and scrape firmly to reveal neat stripes.
- Adjust and smooth as needed, then chill briefly to set before serving.